4th Shamarpa, Chodrag Yeshe Palzang
The Himalayan Art Resource website recently added a page for Karma Gardri sculpture style. One can find beautiful examples of sculptures of previous incarnations of the Karmapa and Shamarpa. Some examples can be seen below (click to enlarge).
10th Shamarpa Mipham Chodrup Gyamtso
This beautiful thangka painting of the 10th Shamarpa Mipham Chodrup Gyamtso (1742-1792), in the Karma Gardri style of Eastern Tibet, was painted in the middle of the 18th Century, and is currently on display at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
Gyalwa Gyamtso
This exceptional 19th Century thangka, from the collection of the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, was painted in Eastern Tibet according to the Karma Gardri tradition. It depicts the single form of “Almighty Ocean”, in Tibetan “Gyalwa Gyamtso” or in Sanskrit “Jinasagara”. Almighty Ocean is a red form of Loving Eyes (Tib. Chenresig, Skt. Avalokiteshvara), the buddha of compassion.
This beautiful painting, from the collection of the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, is in the Karma Gardri style of Eastern Tibet and dates from the 19th Century. It is based on the Guru Yoga in Four Sessions (Tib. tun shi lami naljor) meditation composed by the 8th Karmapa Mikyö Dorje (1507–1554). This practice is taught in Diamond Way Buddhist centres, after one has completed the Four Foundational Practices (Tib. ngondro) (click on image to enlarge).
Thangka painting of the 8th Karmapa Mikyö Dorje
Intense concentration is needed to paint the fine details of the Buddha's eyes
When Lama Ole Nydahl visited London in September 2010 and blessed the newly-filled Buddha statues (see this blog entry) he recommended that we “open their eyes”. So earlier in November 2010, our London Buddhist Centre was transformed into a workshop, where a group of friends spent a long weekend working with these centre statues as well as a collection of smaller statues belonging to individuals. This delicate “eye-opening” process involves painting the heads and faces of the statues with gold and specially prepared paint, as well as adding precious stones in places such as the crowns and ornaments of certain forms. Leo Grzyb was invited from Slovakia to London to guide the workshop. Leo has spent several years studying traditional Kagyu Buddhist art under the close tutelage of Denzong Norbu, probably the greatest living master of the Karma Gardri style of thangka painting who received its transmission directly from the 16th Karmapa. We’d like to share some impressions from the workshop, click on the thumbnails below to enlarge.
Phurba (ritual dagger) at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
This image is of a Phurba, a ritual dagger used in rites of subjugation of hostile forces, associated with certain cycles of tantric teachings. Its three edges symbolise cutting through the three main disturbing emotions of ignorance, anger and attachment. It was made in Tibet in the 13th or 14th century. Its handle is carved from wood and painted, with gilding and ivory details. Further details can be seen here.
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